


If You Fall

by theenchantedreader



Category: own work - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24335128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theenchantedreader/pseuds/theenchantedreader
Summary: Amidst the vines blocking her path, she would do anything–everything–to pursue her dreams and passion.———Meet 19-year-old Lillian Grace Donati, an Italian runaway who left the comfort of her home in Venice to follow her dreams to become an artist in one of the most prestigious art schools in America. With the help of her older sister and the small savings she had with her, Lillian knew she had to do something before she was left with one terrifying option: to go back home and forget about her dreams. Forever.But Lillian wasn't the only one with problems.Aspiring Criminal Investigator Azriel Wright was a barista in one of Rhode Island's infamous cafe, The Ristretto. With his own pasts and problems he couldn't forget, there may be a lot in common Azriel had with the bubbly Italian.———Will they be able to make ends meet or go back to their old ways?Follow Lillian and Azriel's story as they navigate their way through love, heartbreak, and loss.





	1. One | Espresso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Lily!

**Chapter One**

**Lily**

It had become a routine for Lily to get herself a bottle of iced coffee from the vending machine in her apartment building.

Coffee had been her number one go-to drink since she started her first year of college. Countless sleepless nights and a hundred empty canvas and tin cans, that's what college does to you, she thought.

Making her way out of the building, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"I can smell your iced coffee all the way here in New York, Lily." Of course, the only person who knew her all too well was her sister, Francesca. "Have you finished your essay yet? I cannot call you later because I have a client. Don't forget to eat your lunch and tell me when something interesting happens!"

" _Sorella_ , it has only been a week since I moved into my own apartment and you're acting worse than mom. Look, I appreciate the concern but I'm not the Lillian from Italy that you know anymore. I'm Lily, remember?"

Lily wove through a throng of people, balancing her phone between her shoulder and ear as she raised her hand to call for a taxi.

"You are growing far too quickly, _sorellina mia_. I feel like it is only yesterday when we are running through our _nonni's_ vineyard. And now, here we are, working and in college!" Francesca sniffed at the end of the line. "Oh, dear. I am ruining my make-up. Now, have a good day, Lily, and don't forget to visit that cafe I have been telling you about! Ti voglio bene."

Upon hanging up, she rode a taxi and made her way to RISD.

It was only last week when she moved out of Francesca and her fiance's apartment in New York. They were both more than welcome to let her stay as long as she need, but Lily felt like an intruder to their own home despite their welcoming. Besides, RISD was a three-hour drive from New York, that is if there wasn't any traffic to come by.

For days, she scouted nearby apartments in Rhode Island where could stay at an affordable price and found the perfect one. They also had the same vending machine that she boought her iced coffee from. It was scary to be living alone in a big city, but this was her choice–to become independent and study for her dreams. If she were living back in Italy, she'd be surrounded by the lavish lifestyle her parents set for her.

"Ma'am, we're here." The taxi driver announced.

Rhode Island School of Design's campus never failed to amaze her. What she specifically liked about the campus was the numerous studios it offers. If she had the chance to live within campus, she would never leave the place. Ever.

"Watch it!" Lily didn't realize she was too busy in her own thoughts that she already bumped into someone and spilled her coffee on them.

"I am so, sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I'll replace your shirt, I promise."

Lily looked up and was faced with the most beautiful man she's met on campus. But as she looked down at his obviously destroyed sweater, she was in deep trouble.

"Well, it's flattering that you find me beautiful, missy, but you're not my type. I don't swing to the ladies." Despite being covered in coffee, he grinned, displaying his perfect white teeth and held out his hand. "I'm Owen."

She took his hand and noticed the hot pink nail polish he wore. "Lillian, but I go by Lily. And I am sorry about your sweatshirt. Is there anything I can do to fix it?"

"Eh, I have a hundred of this at my house and my nan could probably make this in less than ten minutes." Owen flicked his blond hair that reached just above his chin and winked. "Since I'm already a hot mess, you owe me a coffee."

"Wait, what?" Without a second thought, Owen took her hand and whisked her away.

———

"Then there was this girl who told me that I have no sense of fashion. I mean, excuse me, bitch, have you looked at yourself recently? You look like you crawled out of your mother's womb dressed in a garbage bag and never left you." Owen snorted before sipping on his matcha latte. The coffee on his sweater was almost dry and began to look like a faint stain.

They went to the nearest Starbucks in the campus and much to Owen's dismay, she didn't order anything. Lily claimed that the coffee Starbucks served wasn't real coffee and was not as good as the real thing to which Owen replied with, _"Italians and their intense love for food."_

Lily's laughter died down. "How could anybody say that to you? You're a walking wardrobe! I don't know a single person who can rock a granny sweater with studded leather jeans without looking high."

And it was true. Owen was fashionably dressed with his sweater and leather pants, all the while rocking his black eyeliner and several piercings. Lily often see his kind of style on the cover of magazines and not in real life.

"So, have you heard about this cafe? It's pretty popular around the area."

Lily internally groaned. If this was the cafe Francesca was telling her about, she's about to go out of her mind.

"What cafe?"

"You know, the one with the cute baristas and serve coffee that would make the girl in the Starbucks logo cry." This earned a glare from the waitress and Owen brushed it off with a snicker. "It's true!"

Lily's ears perked up at his comment. She wasn't an avid fan of cafes and would prefer to make her own coffee, but with her busy schedule, the vending machine was her lifesaver.

"This cafe doesn't happen to be The Ristretto, does it?"

Owen shrieked. And by shrieked, Lily meant the full blown piercing shriek followed by the sound of a dying whale. "That is exactly it, girl! I've been trying to get the barista's number there but, man, they're playing hard to get. Doesn't matter. As long as I get to stare at them while they work, I'm pretty fine by it."

"You do know that it's rude to stare, right?" Despite her self, Lily's mouth twitched with a hint of a smile.

Owen waved a hand at her. "Trust me, you won't be saying that once you meet them. You have to meet them! They're the epitome of a Greek Adonis or a real life prince."

"I'll give it a try in maybe a thousand years. It just isn't my thing. Cafes are noisy and I can't focus on my work when I try to."

"Well, have you ever been to a local cafe before?" Owen raised his hands before she could answer. "And this one doesn't count."

Lily counted all the times she's been to the cafes in Italy. They were fun, lively, and as usual, very loud. But that was then, things changed for her now. "I've been to some before. They're all the same."

"Don't knock it till you've tried it, sweetie. It wouldn't hurt to try something new."

———

As Lily rode a taxi yet again to make her way back to her apartment, she couldn't help but ponder over what Owen said. She couldn't shake off the curiousity about that blasted cafe during her lectures. And speaking of Owen, it seemed like Lily had found herself a long lost bestfriend despite having been acquainted recently.

 _He has a point_ , Lily thought, _but I don't think I'll be visiting their cafe anytime soon._

Sighing, Lily made her way towards her apartment building. It wasn't grand, by any means, but Lily liked how its brick walls stood out from the rest of the glass buildings in the block. Upon arriving at her apartment, she couldn't help but be mesmerized with its cream-colored brick walls and potted plants which can be found in every single room.

Lily plopped down on a bean bag in her makeshift studio. It was big enough to fit canvases as tall as her and still have enough room for her paints.

Okay, erase that. There's never enough room for paint. Lily thought, chuckling to herself.

Then, on one side of her studio was what she loved most about her apartment: the floor to ceiling windows which took up the entire wall.

It is in moments like this that Lily finds herself lost in. In the blank canvases that screamed to be filled and the sun setting in the horizon. There was an Italian quote that Lily thought fitting at this moment.

 _Il dolce far niente_. The sweetness of doing nothing. For a moment, her mind fleeted back to the cafe. It intrigued her more than anything and Lily was afraid that she would be getting herself in big trouble and the risk was a big price to pay.

With a fleeting look in the city lights outside, Lily let out a whisper, "cheers to the lonely hearts in the big city."


	2. Two | Ristretto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Competition begins!

**Chapter Two**

**Lily**

After starting her first year, Lily knew she had to make her money's worth in RISD. The tuition wasn't cheap and it sure was nowhere near a four-digit number.

The sun glared at Lily as she struggled to carry her sketch pads across campus. If it wasn't for that stupid vending machine, she might have made it to campus on time. But no! Of all the days that she needed her coffee, it chose today to be out of order.

Groaning, Lily hurried through the sea of people blocking her path. Today was the day her professor would announce something big and none of them knew about it.

By 9:35 AM, she arrived just in time outside of her lecture hall. Thank the Heavens that her professor wasn't still in the room.

"What do you think it is?" Giana queried, a native Nigerian that Lily had sat with for so long and practically became close friends. "I hate it when professors keep us on edge with announcements like this. Then the last thing we know, it's a graded performance to be passed next week."

Lily nodded grimly. "It's crazy. I like to think that they do it to us for the sake of helping us, but in reality, they are just punishing us."

The buzz in the room suddenly died down as they watched their professor enter. Dressed in a casual white button up, jeans and heels, Professor Gillies scanned the rest of the room, her steely eyes landing on Lily and Giana fleetingly before shifting to the next person beside them.

"I swear one that one day, she's going to evolve into Frozone if she keeps looking at us like that." Lily and Giana snickered, ignoring the looks thrown their way.

Professor Gillies cleared her throat. "Last week, the Board decided to hold an art competition." Excited chattering instantly filled the room. Even Lily felt a surge of excitement at the mention of the competition. "And that's not all there is. This competition will be exclusive to first year Art majors only. The competition will not be held till next year of March. So you have the rest of the year to prepare your finest artworks and have the chance to be displayed in the RISD museum."

"Displayed?" Lily couldn't believe it. Having her artwork in an actual museum was her dream and this was her opportunity to fulfill that!

"Only 5 winners will be chosen among the contestants." Professor Gillies took out a stack of what must be flyers from her bag and read its contents. "Now, for the awards. The first place gets a full scholarship from the Board for the next three years of their stay. Second place wins a 3-day trip to the Louvre in Paris. And the remaining 3 winners will be given a cash prize and a trophy. As I have said, their artworks will be displayed. So, do not take this competition lightly."

Lily felt the mood in the room shift from excited to overlyjoyed. It seemed like every person in the room was as thrilled as she was with the news. The awards were more than what she asked for!

A 3-year scholarship!

Lily's parents weren't pleased with her decision to move out of the country and study in RISD. They wanted her to remain in Italy and study how the business world works in the hopes that someday, Lily would take over the Donati Industries. After several arguments and a deal, it was a hard-earned victory for her.

With all her savings, Lily paid for her tuition fee and rent. But it was Francesca that brought her to New York and introduced her to its culture.

Professor Gillies went on with her announcement. "Everybody settle down! Those who are willing to join the competition can sign up here," she waved a clipboard for the rest of the class to see, "and may the best artwork win."

As Lily signed herself up for the contest, she promised herself with as much conviction and confidence she could muster that she will win it.

_Scholarship, I'm coming for you._

———

"Fran, you have no idea what I just did!"

Lily balanced the the art tubes and a sketch pad in one arm. Well, tried to was what best described what she was doing. After Professor Gillies' announcement, she had the whole class make a self-portrait without looking in the mirror. Then, her taxi driver decided to drop her off 3 blocks away from her apartment because of the heavy traffic.

"Should I be scared?"

"I joined an art competition, Fran! And the prize for the first place is a 3-year scholarship." Lily all but squealed. "Do you know what this means? I don't need to worry about how I'll pay for my tuition and art materials. And it's a good exposure if my artwork is displayed in RISD's museum!"

There was a squeal at the other end of the line. "That's great! I have seen your works, Lily, and they are really good. More than good actually. This will be the perfect time for you to explore outside of your comfort zone and make a masterpiece. You will rock this one, Lily. I believe in you."

"Thank you, Francesca. I knew you'd support me on this one." She let out a sigh. "I just wish our parents would, too."

"Oh, Lily."

Lily stopped midway. She looked up at the building in front of her. There was a wooden-paned window on one side that displayed the assortment of mouthwatering pastries and the drinking customers inside.

"Francesca, I got to go. I think I'm at the cafe you've been telling me about."

———

Ever since she was a little girl, Lily already gained knowledge about coffee. Espresso, macchiato, cappucino—she was already familiar with those. Her padre had been the one to teach her the difference between a ristretto and an espresso.

Ironically, the cafe she's been standing in front of for the past five minutes was named The Ristretto. What a coincidence, she thought.

Lily left home for almost six months now and she was doing a pretty good job of steering away from things that reminded her of home. Pasta, Italian cuisine, and maybe even coffee. And now that she was about to enter a cafe that resembled the ones in Italy made her insides fill with butterflies.

It's just coffee. All I have to do is order and get myself one. Lily's thoughts were a constant battle between herself and, well, herself. Sometimes, it is better to argue with one's self in making sound decisions rather that with someone else.

Her aching arms were already craving for rest and someplace warm to stay. She pushed the door open as she muttered, "just today."


	3. Three | Breve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azriel is here!

**Chapter Three**

**Azriel**

Something in his guts told Azriel Wright that today would be different.

Though, as he went on with his class, leaving behind a trail of staring girls to which he paid no attention to, Azriel knew something was _amiss_. It didn't help that as soon as he arrived at the Ristretto, customers were nowhere to be seen, save for the elderly couple who sat by the window seats every Tuesday and Thursday.

Today was _Friday_.

Rolling the sleeves of his white button up to his elbows, Azriel wore his own black apron which proudly showed off years of hardwork in this cafe. Their cafe. The logo on the front was long chipped and worn out, and even though his father, Joe, had insisted to get him a new one, Azriel politely declined.

"Rough day?" His co-worker and _only_ co-worker, Carter, asked from behind the cashier, wearing an apron similar to his, albeit much less older and much cleaner.

Azriel merely grunted in reply, already brewing himself an afternoon cup of earl grey tea and made no move to add anything to enhance its taste. He liked things plain, simple and no unnecessary complexities to go through.

His life was a big problem as it was already.

"Joe's out early today. He told me that he'll be making dinner tonight." From the corner of his eye, he saw Carter grin. "Not sure whether that's an invitation for me or for you. But, if I completely remember it, a certain someone stopped by asking you out for dinner. _Man_ , if I knew–"

"Piss off, Carter." By the shit-eating grin on his co-worker's face, Parker knew full well who he was talking about and he had no plans on discussing it with Carter today. Or any day.

"What? No threats this time? I mean, it's–woah, okay, I surrender." Carter threw his hands up in mock surrender knowing that with the death glare thrown his way, he'll be mopping the floor for the next two weeks if he continued his sentence.

For the next two hours that passed, Azriel busied himself with the espresso machine and cashier, hardly noticing the girl standing outside, carrying an armful of art materials.

**_Lily_ **

The fresh scent of coffee grounds and cinnamon greeted Lily followed by the mouthwatering sight of newly baked pastries being displayed.

It didn't occur to her how strongly it would bring back all memories she had of home. All the times she and her father would stroll down the cobblestone streets of Italy and visit every cafe from every corner, the smell of baked goods and coffee wafting through the air like thin mist. She had been five, then.

Lily blinked, heat creeping on her cheeks as she hastily walked towards the counter and paused.

 _Well, at least Owen is right about one thing_ , Lily thought surprisingly to herself. There was only one word to describe the man behind the cashier: _alluring_. With his eyes mirroring the waters of the Amalfi coast on a hot summer's day, a jaw as sharp as that of a sword's blade, and his unruly golden brown hair glinting underneath the yellow light, this man was beautiful. She noted the lack of indicator of his name on the apron he wore.

"Well, are you here to order or to stare at me? We don't have all day, miss." Lily froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

_Oh, fudge. Was I staring? Crap, crap, crap. Stupid Lily._

Gathering all that's left of her dignity, she managed to stammer out. "Can– can I have a medium latte with almond milk, please?"

His intense scrutiny was enough to to make Lily cower. Almost, but she held his stare.

"We're out of almond milk." The blue eyed barista responded, voice flat and still looking at her with an equally flat expression.

"Oh," Adjusting the items in her aching arms, she knew it was a mistake to come in here, "I'll have it with regular milk, then."

Then, on cue, a loud rumble came from outside followed by a string of thunder and soon enough, rain began to pour heavily.

"That'll be two ninety-five." Paying, Lily decided to have a seat near the window and place down her belongings even just for a second.

Lily sighed, deciding against her better judgment and took a seat on a velvet armchair overlooking the downpour outside. She just hoped that the rain would stop soon and leave this cafe with no intention of ever returning again despite its welcoming ambience.

_What a great way to end the day, Lily. Just great._

———

After almost an hour of sketching and coffee drinking, the rain displayed no signs of ceasing or even dwindling down much to Lily's dismay.

It would be no trouble running through the rain. Her art tubes provided enough cover that its contents would not be destroyed but she had a problem with her sketch pads. She had spent the past hour sketching a possible idea for the art competition and she wasn't going to let her hardwork go to waste just because of a little rain.

"This isn't working." Lily huffed, trying to make room in her rectangular shoulder bag for the hundredth time already.

"Here."

Lily's face washed blank with confusion, then surprise, every inch of her momentarily freezing before a toothy grin stretched onto her face – then her gaze fell to his. outstretched hand.

It was a green umbrella.

"I can't take that. I mean, the rain's probably going to stop soon and I can easily grab a taxi outside once it stopped." Oh God, she was _rambling_. But the thought of having a reason to return to the cafe made her insides fill with butterflies.

The barista from earlier shrugged, a nimble hand still outstretched. Lily noticed the absence of his black apron then back to the umbrella again. "The rain won't stop. And even if it did, we'd presumably be closed by then. Take this."

Oh, _oh_. If Lily's brain cogs functioned a little bit better at the moment, she'd think he was kicking her out which he surely was.

"Thank you. I'll return this as soon as I can."

Lily bit her lip, daring to look at the still nameless barista in front of her only to find him already walking back to the counter. At least she wouldn't have to worry about her stuff getting destroyed anymore.

Taking one last fleeting look at the man who had saved her from the downpour, Lily couldn't help the small smile that played on her lips before making her way through the rain.


	4. Four | Piccolo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the little things that counts!

**Chapter Four**

**Lily**

Lily was just finishing her relaxing morning yoga when her phone decided to go off.

Though, she was surprised to see a different name flashing on the screen instead of her sister, Francesca. She had given her number to Owen after he claimed that they were practically bestfriends because of the splendid coffee fiasco. Lily wouldn't argue about that, not when she didn't want to feel alone in a new environment and Owen will half-drag her ass to wherever it was he wanted to go. It was fun, admittingly so.

"Hey, Owen." Lily stretched, bending herself to a downward fold. "What's up?"

"Please tell me you're joining that art competition." Owen said by way of greeting. "My Twitter feed is full of people claiming that they can't wait to win it. And apparently, it's _exclusive_ to first years only."

Lily's thoughts suddenly drifted back to a certain barista and his green umbrella. She grinned.

"Of course, I'm joining. That's what I'm here for, you know. Plus, it'll be a nice challenge–" she heaved herself up from the mat–"for a starter like me, not to mention that the prize is pretty generous."

It was only proper for everybody to be as excited for the competition as Lily was. All of them wanted to win and her nerves were starting to catch up on her. She would have to make do with what she had at her arsenal, not much, Lily realized, but it would be enough. Art had no rules and limitations and she'd prove it to herself that she can make it.

"Lily? Are you even listening?"

"Oh, right. Sorry. What were you saying?"

Owen muttered something inaudible. "Have you started on any ideas yet? I mean, if it's inspiration you're looking for, I know just the place where you can find it."

She lifted an eyebrow, tucking away her mat in a corner. "Where are you going with this, Owen?"

"I'll get straight to the point. You have to go to the Ristretto and find your inspiration there."

_Well, that was one way to be subtle and concise._

Nimble hands and steely blue eyes flashed in the back of her mind like an image. Fleeting, but Lily found herself thinking of the nameless barista at the most random hours of the day. And within the two days that passed, she had managed to voice out loud with utmost conviction that she was in no way interested to the barista and posed that it was simply out of curiousity.

"I have been there."

"–that place is just full of– wait, _what_?" A pause. Lily could only imagine Owen gaping at the other end of the line. "And you tell me this now? When did you go? How was it? Did you meet the cute blondie?"

An exasperated sigh escaped her. "I didn't tell you because it didn't seem important enough to talk about. Just like how you didn't say that the barista was completely intimidating!"

"Oops?"

"Yeah, _oops_. I'll talk to you later, Owen, I have stuff to do." With a frantic 'wait' coming from the other end, Lily hang up.

Her day was only starting and the thought of discussing a certain someone made her head ache. She needed to set her priorities straight. The bills weren't going to pay by themselves and the canvas wasn't going to magically fill itself with paint.

_But first, breakfast._

———

The weekend surprisingly went by fast as Lily found herself once again standing in front of the Ristretto, though with the lack of art tubes this time.

And of course, the green umbrella.

During the first time she stood outside the café, she was a frantic mess and wholly disregarded the place she entered. Through the panes, she could faintly make out a figure clad in a black apron whilst moving in a buzz. Today, Lily supposed, was one of the busy days of the renowned coffee shop in Rhode Island. Still, it didn't make much of an impression to Lily due to the very fact that her first experience wasn't as eventful as she hoped it would be.

Lily walked in, looking fondly at the sight of assorted potted plants and books displayed on the alcove in the corner of the spacious room. The dark wooden chairs and tables were evenly scattered through out the room, as did the low hanging lights which provided soft yellow light against the brick panelling of the store. Lastly, by the bar counter stood three stools painted in olive green in contrast to the mahogany wood–bearing same detailing the rest of the shop had.

Something caught her eye. An engraved wooden sign on one side of the room that said: _Experience love at first sip!_

Though, she didn't fail to notice the lack of art or pictures within the store save for the chalkboard where the menu was written in perfect handwriting.

As Lily reached the front of the counter, a different barista catered to the customers, looking as if he had just walked through a hurricane and came out victorious, if his grin was any sort of indication enough.

"Hi, welcome to the Ristretto! What can I get you started for today?" Unlike the last time she was here, Lily didn't feel like she was being scrutinized under the gaze of this barista.

"Good afternoon, Carter." Lily greeted with a smile, reading his name off the tag pinned to his apron. "What's your best-selling here?"

The barista broadly smiled, a lock of dark hair tumbling down his forehead. _It must be a requirement for baristas to look good in this cafe,_ Lily thought. "Well, ma'am, nothing ever beats our Piccolo Latte, the finest you can have in town. Which is where the name of this shop came from since a Piccolo Latte is made from a shot of ristretto."

"That sounds perfect, then. I'll have it."

Of course, Lily knew what a Piccolo Latte was. Her father had made it enough times in the morning served as a breakfast in bed for her mother. With it's dinky size no taller than two and a half inches, it tasted surprisingly delicious.

"Just to let you in on a secret, my bestfriend–" Carter pointed to the hunched figure to his left–"makes the best lattes. But don't tell Azriel I told you that, he'll never live it down. That cocky bastard."

 _Azriel_.

Finally, a name to a face. Suddenly, the weight of the umbrella felt heavier in her bag and she almost forgot why she went there in the first place.

As Lily made her way to her table, still the one with the velvet armchair near the window, her eyes flickered momentarily to Azriel. How she managed to not notice him when she entered was out of the question. His shoulders were curved over as he poured milk to a small cup, undoubtedly making a latte art, his brows furrowed in calm concentration.

 _I still have to return his umbrella. But how should I give it to him?_ Lily formulated a plan just as Carter arrived with her order.

"Before you ask why there's a cheesecake there," he started with a lopsided grin, "We have this 'on the house policy' for newcomers just to give them a taste of what we have to offer."

"But I'm not really–"

Before she could finish her sentence, Carter already left her with a small salute and went back to the counter.

It didn't feel right. At least not for Lily. She found their policy absurd but she wasn't one to say no to free food.

Plus, the cheesecake looked extremely mouthwatering. Who was she to deny that sort of amazingness?

Then her gaze fell on the Piccolo Latte. An intricate flower was drawn on top and Lily could only guess who was behind such an expertise. _Azriel_. Taking a quick photo of her food, she then took a small sip of the latte.

It was good. 'Good' wasn't even enough to do it justice. It was amazing. Another sip before she realized what was in it.

_Almond milk._

Her eyes widened. Lily couldn't recall when she told Carter to use her preferred milk instead of a regular one. How could he possibly know? The only person she told was–

"Hey." As if voicing out her thoughts, Azriel stood beside the seat opposite Lily, eyes locked on her.

 _Keep your calm, Lily._ "Hey." A second passed before she remembered something. "Oh, right. I'm so sorry for taking this long to return it but, here's your umbrella."

It all happened in slow motion. One moment she was fumbling through her bag for the umbrella then the next thing she knew, the remaining contents of her latte had spilled. To her horror, the brown liquid immediately made its way to her open sketch book and inevitably staining her drawings.

"I'll clean it." Azriel began, observing the sight of Lily's mess and her ruined sketch pad.

"Wait. You don't have to bother yourself. I'm so sorry for the mess." She was already wiping the liquid with tissue, Azriel helping her in the process. In a minute, her table was clean, though she can't say the same for her sketch pad. "I'm so sorry. I'm not usually this clumsy."

He cocked his head. "I see."

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Lily." Despite the embarrassing turn of events, Lily stood up and smiled. "I've embarrassed myself too much, haven't I?"

The corner of his lips quirked ever-so-slightly before they returned to its usual straight line. "Azriel. If it helps, I've seen far worse."

Despite already knowing his name, Lily nodded, cheeks heating up under the blue orbs boring at her. "I almost forgot! Here. You're a lifesaver, you know that?"

Their finger tips touched for the briefest of moments before Lily drew her hands away.

Parker stilled. "Right. Thanks for this." A pause. "Did you enjoy the coffee, at least?"

"That was the best latte I've had. Though, it seems my sketch pad enjoyed it more than I did." She gestured back to her table, a frown settling on her face.

"I suppose it's only fitting that I treat you for a cup of coffee next time." There was a hint of playfulness in Azriel's voice. _Was he–?_

Lily met his eyes in surprise. "It was my fault, really. And I appreciate it that you remembered my order from last time."

At her words, Azriel rubbed the nape of his neck though his eyes never left her. "Then I insist, Lily."

Her name rolled off his tongue like dripping honey, smooth and sweet. "Fine, but I'm paying for my cheesecake."

Satisfied with her answer, Parker shot her the smallest of smiles, eyes crinkling in the corners which sent an unexpected warmth rushing through her.

"See you around, Lily."


	5. Chapter Four

** Chapter Five **

** Lily**

By the end of the week, Lily began her hunt for a desperately needed job.

She opted to wear something less formal but appropriate enough for someone who was about to hand out her resumés. A white blouse clung fittedly to her torso paired with a beige sweater thrown above. Her fleece-lined black leggings provided enough comfort and warmth against the chilly breeze, a sign as the last heat of summer yielded to the starting autumnal season.

When Lily left Italy with nothing but her passion and hard-earned savings from selling her charcoal artworks at the Piazza, she realized a bit too late that it wouldn't suffice throughout the year. 

A sigh brought her back to reality. Francesca–looking the ever professional in her courtroom attire–propped a chin on an open palm and stared at Lily, assessing. Lily had seen that look on her sister's several times and admittingly, it unnerved her.

"You do know that I'm here for you, Lily." Francesca began, keen grey eyes peering at her through the mirror. "I promised to be with you on this journey. And getting a job is not necessary. Robert and I are more than willing to financially support you in any way we can. It was difficult enough when I let you go to live on your own."

Something struck within Lily. Her sister's words hit deep, a hairbreadth away from home.

Stormy eyes clashed. "I am an  adult , Francesca. I understand your point, I really do, and I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for your help. But I left home, Fran. I left as soon as I realized that they would never stop treating me like a child." Lily's throat bobbed. "And now that I'm finally where I want to be, I want to be able to do things that I like even if it meant looking for a job because it's my life, Fran. We're in this together, but you have to let me live."

A heartbeat passed where neither one of them spoke. Finally, Francesca pressed her lips together and now walked towards Lily, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ears with delicate affection.

"You've grown so much,  Lia ." Tears welled up at the corner of Lily's eyes at the nickname. It wasn't much of a nickname, but rather an endearment shared between two sisters. "You have grown into this amazing woman each and every day. Forgive your older sister for being an overbearing mother hen at times. I'm blaming it all on the hormones."

Lily's hands flew to her mouth, eyes agape. " You –You're pregnant, Francesca?"

"Today is my fourth week into the pregnancy. The doctor said I should not be working because it might cause me stress, but I insisted that I'll be fine. Robert also said that I should take a break, too. All their fussing is giving me a headache." Rubbing her temples, Francesca rolled her eyes with a hint of a smile gracing her mouth.

Lily figured that her sister had always been beautiful. With her sharp cheekbones and full lips, one could never look twice and not find her gorgeous. She was a better Donati sister, the one everybody adored and loved. Had Francesca not become a lawyer, she would be the preferred heiress to their wine business, the  Donati Industry . And now, the weight of the duty fell heavily upon Lily's shoulders.

"That is absolutely wonderful, Fran! I can't wait to become her beloved Godmother in the future." Careful to hug her sister, Lily could no longer control the tears that fell. "I can't believe that a lot has happened already since we came here. My favorite sister is having a baby of her own!" 

"I can't believe it too, Lily. And my baby could be a 'him', you know."

They stayed like that for a while until Lily remembered her goal for the day.

"You should be resting, Fran. I don't approve of you going into court today while carrying a baby in your womb." Lily fussed.

But Francesca merely waved a hand. "Who's the mother hen now?" She wiped the tears on Lily's face and smiled. "Off you should go, Lily. You have a job to look for, do you not? My baby and I will be wishing you the best of luck."

———

Today, it seemed, would be another unlucky day.

"No, no. For the last time, miss," the gruff mechanic barked, "we are not hiring."

"But it said so in the sign!" Lily pointed to where the sign was plastered. Indeed, it indicated their lack of personnel and anyone above 18 could pass their application form.

He grunted in annoyance. "We're over-staffed, kid. Go look for some place else to get a job."

"Oh, come on!" Then he shut the door to her face. Lily's face reddened.  Clearly,  they were not over-staffed or else the garage would be swarming with other mechanics. When she walked in through the door of the shop, the gruff mechanic already had a grimy grin plastered on his face which soon disappeared when she asked if they were hiring for any position. Fine, Lily had no idea about how vehicles worked but she could have at least gotten a job as a cashier.

The next place she went to was a dainty bookshop called 'Anne's Bookstore'. Unlike earlier, there was no hiring sign to be found anywhere but it didn't hurt to try.

"I'm sorry, dear." The owner of the shop, Anne, greeted her warmly as she tucked a strand of gray hair behind her ears. "As much as we need the extra hand in the shop, my granddaughter has been running the shop on her own without negligence."

"I see. Well, thank you, Anne."

Getting a job was harder than Lily thought. But she was determined to get at least one resumé handed out before the day ends. She fought down the looming dejection thrown her way. No, she needed a job and a job was what she was going to get.

For fifteen minutes, Lily managed to scout another place she might possibly get a job. She observed the assortment of flowers outside the white open store. Likewise, the inside displayed an array of flowers which she reckoned must have taken hours to arrange.

"Any flower caught your eye?" A voice chimed in.

"These are amazing. Did you arrange them all yourself?" Lily followed suit the dark-skinned lady that looked no older than her.

"I did. I'm Cora, by the way."  Cora  held out a hand to which Lily firmly shook and introduced herself. "I've been handling this store by myself as soon as I moved in here. It's been a great experience, really. I get a job and I get to do my passion."

Lily nodded, immensely in awe. "It must have been hard. These," she gently touched a petal of a red rose, "look perfectly taken care of. Not to mention, flowers are not treated in the same way."

Cora beamed at her. "Agreed. But once you start doing what you love, you will realize that you no longer notice how hard it's done. You're just doing it, losing yourself as you do." Cora's eyes fleeted to the papers in Lily's hand. "But you didn't come here for the flowers, did you?"

Lily smiled sheepishly. "I was wondering if you need help around the shop, I would be more than happy to oblige."

Grinning, Cora took one look at her application form and welcomed her to the shop.

———

" Achoo! " Lily sneezed for the hundredth time, nose red in irritation. "Darn lavenders."

After Cora introduced her to each flower found in the shop, she had Lily make an arrangement of flowers despite her lack of experience in the matter. 

Lily ended up grabbing a handful of lavenders, playing with them for nearly half an hour when it began. Cora quickly took notice of her watery eyes and itchy nose.

"I've seen several customers wear the same expression once they have figured out their allergy of these flowers." Cora exclaimed earlier.

With a quick apology, Lily offered her a friendly lunch whenever she was free and Cora merely waved a hand and told her that she was welcome to come back at anytime, promising that Lily would be nowhere near the lavenders.

That was how she ended up going to the nearest pharmacy and brought herself an anti-allergy as prescribed by the pharmacist. Her eyes stopped watering and the itchyness in her nose lessened, but then she wouldn't be able to look for more jobs in her current state. 

A good cup of coffee would be extremely nice to have right now,  she mused to herself. Funnily enough, her feet was already taking her to the one place she started to get acquainted to. She entered the Ristretto, relinquishing its warmth.

"Ah, my favorite customer!" Carter grinned then frowned at the sight of her. "Damn, you look awful. Rough day?"

She nodded. "Lavenders are  awful . Can I please have a Piccolo Latte again and one of those cheesecake you gave me last time. They are amazing."

"Lucky for you, I'll be making your latte today. Azriel's occupied today." Lily tried not to feel a little bit disappointed, but she did. A  teensy, weensy  bit. "Off you go, Lily. I'll give you your coffee once it's done."

Lily settled on a counter stool, her usual seat taken, and brought out her application forms. She'd have to make up for her unsuccessful job hunting tomorrow and sacrifice a day of starting her painting. This was harder than she thought.

Carter brought her order a minute later, ruffling her hair before he left, when something caught Lily's eye.

Azriel sat on a chair near the alcove as did the brunette seating across him. From where Lily sat, she could make out the female.  Prominent cheek bones, full red lips, miles of silky hair –

Lily looked away and drank the rest of her coffee in silence. 


End file.
